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Archives for 2000

Richard Bergholz, Journalist Who Provoked Nixon, Dies

The journalist believed to be the subject of Richard Nixon’s famous 1962 comment “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore”, Richard Bergholz, has died.

Bergholz was a political reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He had a stroke and died on December 26, aged 83.

The Los Angeles Times had given Nixon favorable treatment until a change of management in 1960. Berholz was the journalist who questioned Nixon in the 1962 gubernatorial race about Nixon’s allegations that his opponent, Pat Brown, was soft on communism.

After he was defeated by Brown, Nixon gave a famous “last press conference” in which he delivered a rambling speech with the “kick around” remark.

Nixon was portrayed as bitter and graceless, an attitude Al Gore was called upon not to copy a few weeks ago when conceding to George W. Bush.

Jason Robards, Star Of ‘All The President’s Men’, Dies, 78

Jason Robards with the ClintonsJason Robards, the actor who played Washington Post editor, Ben Bradlee, in the 1976 film about the Watergate scandal, All The President’s Men, has died, aged 78.

Robards won an Oscar for his performance in the film.

The actor died in Connecticut after a long battle with bowel cancer.

He was particularly noted for his performances in the plays of Eugene O’Neill.

He won consecutive Oscars as Best Supporting Actor in 1977 and 1978. His portrayal of Benjamin C. Bradlee is widely seen as an impressive performance of the “feisty” editor of the Post during the Watergate period.


Charles Ruff, Watergate Prosecutor, Dies, 61

Charles Ruff, former Watergate Prosecutor, has died, aged 61.

Ruff is best known for the leading role he played in the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1999.

During Watergate, Ruff prosecuted some of Richard Nixon’s fundraisers over taking illegal contributions. He became the Watergate prosecutor in 1975.

Ruff also investigated Gerald Ford over illegal campaign contributions, but found no evidence against the former president.

Ruff was born on August 1, 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio. He contracted an unknown virus in Liberia shortly after completing law school which left him paralysed.

He became President Clinton’s chief legal adviser in 1997 at the height of the Whitewater investigations.

Frank Wills, Man Who Discovered Watergate, Dies, 52

Frank Wills, the man who discovered the Watergate burglary, has died in the United States, aged 52.

Wills was the security attendant who discovered taped locks in the Watergate office and apartment complex on June 17, 1972.

When Wills alerted the police, the capture of the Watergate burglars set off a train of events that resulted in the resignation of President Richard Nixon in August 1974.

Wills played himself in the movie All The President’s Men, but spent much of his life living in hardship. He suffered a brain tumor prior to his death.

New Book Alleges Nixon Took Pills, Beat Wife

A new book by Anthony Summers, The Arrogance of Power, alleges that Richard Nixon medicated himself with a mind-altering prescription drug whilst he was President.

The book claims that Nixon took Dilantin, given to him in 1968 by Jack Dreyfus, the founder of the Dreyfus Fund. Dreyfus claims he gave Nixon 1000 capsules and quotes Nixon as saying “to heck with the doctor” when advised that they should be prescribed.

Nixon was treated by the therapist, Dr. Arnold A. Hutschnecker, prior to 1968, but it has never before been claimed that he was treated during his time in the White House.

Dr. Hutschnecker, now 102, is quoted as saying of Nixon: “He didn’t have a serious psychiatric diagnosis. He wasn’t psychotic. He had no pathology, but he had a good portion of neurotic symptoms: anxiety and sleeplessness.”

The book also claims that Nixon beat his wife, Pat. It refers to a claim by John Sears, a Nixon aide during the 1968 campaign, that Nixon hit his wife in 1962, following his defeat in the gubernatorial race in California.

The book revisits a claim that during the 1968 election campaign the Nixon campaign pressured South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu not to agree to participating in peace talks in Paris.

The allegations are vehemently denied by Nixon associates and supporters.

Garment Claims John Sears Was Deep Throat

Buy This Watergate Book - Click Here NOW!Deep Throat was John Sears, according to a new book by Leonard Garment.

Sears was in his 30s during Watergate. He was a campaign worker for Richard Nixon who went to work in the White House, later becoming a Republican Party strategist, working for Ronald Reagan in his failed 1976 bid and then again in 1980.

The allegation by Garment is denied by Sears. It is also denied by Bob Woodward, the journalist who met with Deep Throat during the Watergate scandal.

Garment succeeded John Dean as the White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon.